104 Procredinr/s of the Roi/al Irish Academij. 



taken from the great ridge of " Genu Nathrach," or Keentlae {ceann tsUabhV 

 over Inchiqniii Lake. 



If the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick be correct in that particidar, the saiat 

 visited and baptized Cairthinn, " the fair," and his infant son, Eochu of " the 

 red mark," at the fort of Singland near the later city of Limerick,- where in 

 the townland of Singland an ancient church and roimd tower, long levelled, 

 bore, and a modern graveyard still bears, the saint's name. Eochu's son, 

 Breasal, or Brecan,' fonnded existing churches in central and north-western 

 Glare and Aran, about 480, sharing the great Isle of Aran with St. Enda. 

 His brother ConaU did not reign, but his son Aedh Caemh (548 to 561) is 

 said to have dwelt at Cragliath at KUlaloe, and to have been made King of. 

 Gashel. A compUmentaiy poem by St. Brenan of Birrha* supports the first 

 statement : " Both are my friends — Aed of Craig Liath of numerous offspring, 

 and Aedh of Core's Gashel of the companies." It was to the interest of the 

 Dal gCais to show that some of their separate line had reigned at Gashel,^ but 

 Mathgamhan in the tenth century is the fii-st undoubted case after the Christian 

 kings of the fifth century, and the kingship of Lorcan is a mere assertion.^ 



"With Aedh, the kingship even of Thomond appears to have passed from 

 his line : next to him succeeded Forannan of the Ui gCaisin (brother-in-law of 

 Guaire Aidhne, a powerful prince), 610-20, the opponent of St. Mochulla :' 

 he dwelt at Tulla. The kingship returned to the line of Gass in Dioma, of 

 Bnuee ; the last attempt of Connacht to recover the present Co. Clare was 



' See " Book of Bights," pp. 89, 93, among the forts (port) of the King of Mnnster, or rather 

 claimed by him. Xathrach is probablr a man's name, not a " serpent," though legend lerelled in 

 such monsters. See " Folk Lore," xsi, pp. 477—480. 



- " Tripartite Life of St. Patrick " (ed. Whitley Stokes, Eolls Series), vol. i, p. 207. The 

 accessories are mythical, the main facts probable. 



^ " Book of Lecan," p. 214, "Brecan of .\ran, a righteous true-judging saint, he and Conal 

 Caemh, of much guile, were the two sons of Eochu Bailldearg." Brecan was at first named Breasal. 

 His tombstone, " Sci Brecani," was found buried deeply in his traditional grave at the end of his 

 church in Aranmore. 



* See DalgCais, p. 2.37- The genuineness of the verse is douhtful, but it does not seem to support 

 the accession of Aedh Caemh. Probably later Dalcassian politiciins (yearning for evidence of the 

 alternate succession to Cashel) wilfully confused Aedli of Cashel with Aedh of Cragliath. 



' The early Christian Kings of Cashel (" Book of Ealiymote," -594 44) are: Aengus, s. of Xad Fraich 

 fell at Cell Osnad, e. 490; Eochu, his s., fell at Sliab Eblinne (A.U. 53-3); Cremthann, hiss., 

 20 years; Cairbre Crom, s. of Eochu, 30 years; Fergus, s. of Cremthann, 12 years; Feidlimid, 

 s. of Cairbre, 1.5 years ; Finghin, s. of Aed, s. of Cremthann, s. of Fediimid, s. of Aengus, 

 Fingc-n Cathal, Failbe Flann (23 -r 20 -j- 14) years ; Cuan, s. of Amgaid (s. of Cairbre, s. of Core, 

 the father of Xad Fraich), 10 years ; Maenach, s. of Fingen, 1.5 years. 



' Sons respectively of Lachtna and of Conligan. The latter was king of Cashel, on strength of 

 which the former was asserted to be king. Cennedigh was tanist of Mnnster. There is no evidence 

 of weight for earlier claims of the Craglea line. 



" '• Vita S. Mochullei Episcopi" (written 1141). " Analecta Bollandiana," xrii, p. 135, Guaire 

 appears in the Annals from 626, at a bnttle .it Cnm Feradhaigh. where the Connat-ht men were 

 defeated. 



